Honest
by Mi-chan17
Summary: Kitty Pryde's reflections on her best friend and his new girl.


**Disclaimer: If I owned the X-men, do you really think I'd let you guys play with them?**

**Dedications/Thanks: Sue Penkivech both as this is her (belated) birthday gift and as she beta'd it.**

Honest

Great, big brown eyes.

I guess that was my first impression of Bobby Drake. I know other people probably say they noticed his smile, or his easy sense of humor when he met them– but that's not what I remember of my first day at "Mutant High". Just big, luminescent eyes, the color of polished hardwood floors. They're his best feature, I think. They just sort of…warm me from the inside out.

Funny, then, how his mutation puts him in control of the cold.

His codename is Iceman, yeah. But he's the last person on Earth I would've labeled that way, if not for his mutation. He's warm. Bobby's just…warm. Not just his eyes, either.

Look at his smile sometime. Just…look at it. Again, warm. It lights up his whole face, really. Bobby's smile is a full-face expression. It involves his mouth, of course, but it reaches his eyes, even his forehead. When he smiles his forehead creases a little.

Not that I pay that close of attention or anything.

His manner is warm too. Actually, of all the people here, Mr. Summers is the only person I might say had a "cold" manner. But Bobby's is especially warm. He's _nice_. And while nice may not seem enough for some girls, it certainly makes me sit up and take notice. He always greets the new kids on their first day of school. He is forever trying to make people feel welcome, using either his friendly smile or his gentle sense of humor.

Bobby's funny. I mean, St. John might always be the one with the snappy comebacks, and sarcastic comments – and yeah, they're amusing. But it's Bobby who finds the funny things all around us without pointing out ineptitudes in other people, real or imagined. It takes a special gift, I think, to be able to do that. I know I can't.

Not that, you know, I admire that or anything.

It's funny, I've known all this about him all along but never thought that someone else would appreciate it. I mean, Dr. Grey keeps telling me I'm smart, but I can't be if I didn't think someone else might have eyes too. Bobby makes no secret of who he is. A girl was bound to notice eventually. It's just…I guess I didn't really think about it.

It's not that I wanted him or anything, though,

Bobby and I, we couldn't be more different. I mean, I am his complete anti-thesis, if only because I use words like anti-thesis in everyday speech. Where Bobby is warm, I think I'm kind of cold. I'm not apologizing for that, but it makes it that much more surprising to me that he likes me at all – even as a friend.

Not that I was ever hoping for more.

Bobby is friendly to everyone where I'm more reserved. With people that really know me – Bobby, Jubes, Piotr – I'm loud and I'm opinionated and I'm warm. With everyone else? Not a chance. I don't want to do something wrong, y'know? I would hate to do the wrong thing, so I just don't do anything at all. Better safe than sorry.

Where Bobby is smart in a social sort of way, I'm computer smart. Give me a monitor and a hard-drive and I'll be occupied for hours. I'm not even joking or anything. And Science. Give me a computer, petri dishes, and some data and I'll be fine for a week. Mr. Summers always says I better be careful or a sample mold will eat me.

Not that Mr. Summers and I are friendly. 'Cause we're not, of course. We're just both in the lab a lot. Me because I like it down there, him because Dr. Grey likes it down there.

But given that I enjoy a good night of reading and fiddling with gadgets and that Bobby's a more social person, it's amazing we ever became friends at all. I'm glad we did, though, because if we hadn't I doubt I would have ever really become friends with Piotr, or gotten to know St. John (he's not my friend, but he's an okay cure for boredom sometimes). When I first came here, I didn't talk to anyone except for Jubilee. And I only talked to her because she was my roommate.

And then Bobby Drake gave me an ice-rose (his usual welcome for girls, I've learned), showed me around, and introduced me everybody – even though, if left on my own, I would have taken a book and sat down in a corner. So I'm grateful, and I owe him. There's only so much socializing a shy girl from Illinois can do without some encouragement.

Not that I wouldn't have made friends eventually.

It was just nice of him, that's all.

It's good, I guess, that someone else finally saw all that too. At least, I hope so, since she's going out with him. Rogue, I mean. She's nice, I guess. She doesn't talk to anyone very much, but if it hadn't been for Bobby's prodding, I wouldn't have either – can't, in fairness, blame her for that. I just wish she'd get less afraid with us, because I…I mean we…. get to see him so much less now. He does have friends too, you know.

Not that I'm jealous that they're spending time together or anything.

I just miss spending time with Bobby. He was probably my best friend – the only one had taken the time to get me out of my shell (though Piotr, lately, has been attempting that more). I miss us hanging out, and laughing, and him hugging me without hesitation. He hesitates now, and I understand that he doesn't want it to bother her, but why should things have to change? He was my friend first.

They're thumb wrestling again. Rogue has her gloves on and Bobby is staring at her, his brown eyes narrowed on her face. I saw his eyes first, you know.

"Kitty?"

It's Piotr, who has noticed me staring. He's hidden his sketchbook from view, though. I wonder what he drew.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Piotr. Why?" I'm kind of curious as to what I did that was unusual. Especially if it was so unusual that Piotr noticed me doing it.

"You were squeezing your hands so hard, they were turning white," he tells me in his soft Russian accent.

I look down at my hands. He's right. My knuckles are almost translucent they're so white. Absently, I thank Piotr for asking and glance back over at Bobby and Rogue.

I'm fine.

Honest.

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